CHAPTER 9
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"Tell me again, old man, why are we going to Alderaan? I'm beginning to think I charged you too little for this."
"Yes, of course you did. For the twentieth time, Han, we're going because the Force wills me to go there."
"What's all this about this 'Force'?"
"Do be quiet, boy, and concentrate on what you do know. Granted, that's not much, but..."
Han flushed, and looked as if he wanted nothing better than to throw the Jedi Master off his ship ... but of course, he couldn't do that. All he could do was to sit and watch as the stars elongated.
--
Anakin Skywalker prepared to land on the lush planet of Alderaan. "Obi-Wan, prepare landing sequence."
"I'm way ahead of you."
As the two fighters slowly made their way to the landing platforms, Anakin's mind was reeling. I'm going to see my daughter. I'm going to see Leia. He was overcome with emotion, and as his hands flew over the controls, he knew that if any of his fingers were made of flesh rather than metal and circuits, they would be trembling uncontrollably. For once he was glad to have mechanical limbs – landing would prove to be difficult if his fingers weren't cooperating.
He stepped out of his fighter. He didn't even know it. He walked mechanically toward a small shuttle that would take him to the center of the city.
I'm going to see Leia.
His mind only thought about what his daughter would look like. Would she look like Padme? Yes ... he hoped she would look like Padme.
"Stop, right there ... Skywalker."
--
Anakin almost missed it. But when the word "Skywalker" sounded, he looked up, his mind detached from his daughter.
And stared into the face of Montu Kiljek.
Behind him he heard Obi-Wan run up, greeting the Jedi Master.
"You may dispense with the pleasantries, Obi-Wan. Where is my apprentice? Where is Tarra? I know she's alive," he growled, emphasizing the last sentence.
Obi-Wan's expression darkened. "She's ... a sith," he said quietly.
"No ... no, that's not true! That's ... that's impossible!" Master Kiljek ignited his lightsaber. "You liar! You and Skywalker both!"
"Master Kiljek," Anakin began, but Montu was behind words. He raised his lightsaber to the battle-ready stance of a Korun fighting style.
"Montu, calm yourself!" Obi-Wan said, alarmed at this turn of events. "You're a Jedi, stop! You can't do this!"
Eyes narrowed, "Can't I?" and Anakin understood. Montu Kiljek was clearly falling. Falling to the Dark Side.
What have I done? He thought silently, then spoke quietly. "Fear anger, and aggression, Kiljek, for lead to the dark side, they do."
The blade faltered, then resumed it's previous stance.
"Your old padawan is alive. That's all you need to know."
That was the final string for Montu Kiljek. He snapped, charging like an untamed reek, swinging his lightsaber at Anakin's head.
--
"Y'know, for such an experienced person, Anakin," Obi-Wan said as he blocked blows, "you're not much of a negotiator."
"You were always the negotiator, why couldn't you think of anything," Anakin said, gritting his teeth as he tried to swing at Montu Kiljek.
"I would have, had you not butted in."
"So sorry," was the sarcastic reply.
--
This was the final battle of Montu Kiljek, Jedi Master.
He knew he was dead before he began this fight. To begin a duel with Anakin Skywalker was a big risk. To begin a duel with the man who trained Anakin Skywalker in combat was another risk. To begin a duel with both of them was suicide.
Still, he thought, it was simple enough, thus far. His strength was his speed. He could deal several blows before his opponents, even Force users, could react. He was rather weak from a physical standpoint, and his Force powers could not hope to rival those of Skywalker and Kenobi's. So he ran circles around the pair of Jedi that he confronted.
A quick force shove sent Kenobi flying backwards. Before Kiljek could even smirk at the efficiency of his attack, Skywalker was all over him, blade whirling so fast that even he, the master of speed, could only barely turn the blades away.
He backed up, only to find another blue blade slamming down to the ground where he could have been, if he had not reached into the Force and performed a dodging move to elude the two Jedi.
"Master Kenobi ... your powers are weak ..." he snarled.
Obi-Wan merely smiled. "This is your last chance," he said. "Surrender, or die."
But Montu Kiljek didn't have anything left to live for. The Jedi Order was, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. His old padawan was, if he was to believe the two Jedi, a Sith Lady. And he felt that the two Jedi were not lying to him.
He had already let himself go, long ago, and seeked death. He lifted his blade, and beckoned the two Jedi to put him out of his misery.
--
Obi-Wan was perplexed. This ... Jedi was obviously asking for death. That was breaking the first rule of being a Jedi – survival. He glanced at Anakin Skywalker, who had already lunged with his blue blade of plasma swinging, and shrugged. He supposed the rest of the Jedi, when faced against Anakin Skywalker, didn't break that rule, and ended up in the same manner as what faced Montu Kiljek.
Bringing his lightsaber in a defensive stance, he advanced slowly, watching Anakin fight the Jedi Master. He never thought he would have to see his former padawan fighting a Jedi. And he definitely did not foresee himself fighting on Anakin's side against the Jedi. It was preposterous.
--
Montu Kiljek gave up. He released his anger toward the young Jedi Skywalker, and although his blade swung subconsciously, through the will of the Force, he had already let go. Let go of life. Let go of his anger. Let go of being a Jedi. Let go of ...
... everything.
"Anakin," he spoke, while blocking a particularly powerful overhand chop.
Anakin was taken aback – it was the first time the Master had called him by his first name.
"Anakin, I'm sorry."
Sorry? That didn't register in Anakin's mind. But Montu Kiljek's next move was even more confusing – he attacked. Didn't he JUST apologize for fighting me? What is he doing?
His mind was a whirl of questions, but he kept them away from his as he parried. Montu Kiljek's face was calm, serene ... and then the dragon within the Jedi Master roared.
He blocked left, spun right, did an overhand slash, then retracted his blade, stepping back. Montu, gripping his green blade, sprung forward. Anakin dodged the next attack, then slashed hard.
Taking Montu Kiljek's right arm with his blade, searing it off near the elbow.
In an instant, his lightsaber was at the older man's throat.
Kill me.
Anakin watched as the older man stood before him, grasping his right arm in pain. He watched as the old man's sad face revealed two deep brown eyes that burned with an empty fury.
Kill me, if you dare. The eyes spoke to him.
"Anakin, don't do this!" Obi-Wan had hurried forward. "You can't just –"
Anakin then fed Montu Kiljek half a meter of blue plasma, straight through his chest. Obi-Wan stopped his approach, stunned, as the old Jedi tumbled gracefully to the ground. He looked at Anakin, perplexed.
--
Anakin blinked.
Once again, you had committed murder.
In cold blood.
Beside you, Obi-Wan looks at you with shock and horror. And you scream in pain and you cry out in horror at what you had done, and you realize that the choice you made could never be undone.
He asked you to kill him. You fulfilled his wishes, a little voice speaks in the back of your mind. But you know that no matter how much you wish it to be false, you killed him. And you don't even know why.
In the end, you don't even want to.
Because the more you think about it, the more pain you feel. And you can't take more pain, not at the moment.
Because Padme's choking gasps are looming back in your mind. Shmi Skywalker's gentle murmur "My Ani," returns to your consciousness. The younglings in the Jedi Temple. Cin Drallig. Yourself. You watch as flames lick your back, crawling up your body.
You scream again and try to get these thoughts out of your head, but you know that they will forever stay with you. Your past actions will forever dominate your future. You look sadly on the headless body of what used to be Montu Kiljek.
Then one word pops into your consciousness, and calms yourself. Gone is your smoldering robes and smoking body. Gone are the memories of stabbing Neimodians. Gone is the vision of Obi-Wan crying out at you while you grab desperately on a bed of sand.
Leia.
In the darkness, you find a source of light. Your daughter ... and your son, whom you may never see. The innocence of it all touches you, and ends your fit of anger and pain.
You look up at Obi-Wan, your friend. In his eyes you expect to see anger, frustration at his apparent inability to rid himself of the darkness.
But you find only sorrow. As if he understands. As if he is feeling everything you feel. But of course he cannot. He is a Jedi, as pure of one as is possible.
You smile at your friend. Yes, he is a true friend. Then again, so was Palpatine, you think.
But no. Obi-Wan is good. He's a Jedi. And being a Jedi, he cares about you. Palpatine was a Sith, and he only cared about himself. Obi-Wan ... Obi-Wan was good. There's no other way to describe it. His eyes, they show his true feelings. And they aren't shifty, as Palpatines were. They aren't menacing, as Sidious' were. They generated only kindness.
And you are at peace.
--
Slowly, very slowly, Anakin's outward senses returned to him. He opened his mouth, and croaked out, "Obi-Wan ..."
Obi-Wan gazed at his former padawan.
"I ... I shouldn't have done that."
"You can't undo it now ... he has passed on into the Force."
Anakin nodded. "Now ... can I ... see my daughter?"
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly.
I have a bad feeling about this, he thought. Like it or not, Anakin Skywalker will always be part Sith.
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A/N: Chapter 9 up. I plan for there to be a few more duels in this fic. They're just so exhilarating to write, lol. Keep reviewing, I'm open to suggestions!